Tag
by Caboose
Summary: A brief battle on Halo, told from the perspective of a Sangheili Major. Takes place in the game universe and not the book universe.


Disclaimer: Anything and everything relating to _Halo_ is the property of Bungie Studios and is used without permission.

Author's Note: This story is meant to be humorous, but I don't know that the joke is a universal one among all who play _Halo_. Forgive the presumption if it's not. Also, the names of the Sangheili are guesses based off the pattern found in the Halo Encyclopedia on the HaloPlanet forums. I've based the Elites' speech patterns slightly off the Yuuzhan Vong from _Star Wars: The New Jedi Order_, as both races are religious fanatics determined to utterly exterminate the infidels. As soon as I read _Halo: The Flood_ (or someone corrects me on the way Elites talk), I'll change the dialogue as necessary. Here's hoping the story is enjoyable. Oh, and one more thing: The story is set during the "Reunion Tour" phase of the second level of _Halo_. Hopefully, the setting rings a bell with a few of you. :)

**Tag**

When the high-pitched and painfully loud burst of static assaulted his ears, Major Ekan 'Elidaromee knew his crèche brother Isha 'Kanndaromee was dead, his transceiver melted into slag by the plasma bolt that ended his life. He growled low in his throat at the knowledge that yet another of his friends had not died in honorable combat, but had died at the hands of the _vermin_. Still, he was also troubled. Isha's squad was the fifth Covenant squad sent to the structure just a short distance from the Major's position. Four Unggoy, three Kig-yar, and a Sangheili of any rank should have been more than a match for the shell-shocked and exhausted vermin that escaped the destruction of their primitive vessel. The fact that five such squads had been eliminated troubled him. 'Unless…'

Ekan began reviewing the transmissions he had received from his brother Sangheili as they entered the engagement zone. All were alarmingly brief and followed roughly the same pattern. The Sangheili ordered his troops from their landing craft, shouted the Holy Decree of Purification, opened fire, and then swore the blackest of oaths before he died screaming or his transceiver was slagged by plasma fire. His suspicions confirmed, Major 'Elidaromee contacted his division commander, the Zealot 'Ancoramee.

"Zealot, there is a Spartan among the vermin here on Halo."

"Impossible. All perished when the vermin stronghold of Reach was cleansed."

"Respects, Zealot, but five squads of our ground forces have fallen to a single small crèche of vermin from their ship. The presence of a Spartan is the only logical explanation. And what of the transmissions of the drop ship gunners, who swear that they shot at a target with personal shields? Only Spartan vermin are so well defended."

A pause.

"Very well. Hinder the Spartan as best you may. I will deploy reinforcements behind your position and summon Lekgolo from our fleet."

"Zealot, may I pull my soldiers back across the Light Bridge?"

"No, Major. You will hold your position. The Spartan will not cross the Ancient's bridge unopposed. Glory to you and your soldiers. May the Prophets guide your aim."

"By the will of the Prophets and your command, Zealot," answered 'Elidaromee before the link was severed. 'A vain sacrifice of two squads of our forces,' he thought bitterly. 'If five cannot defeat the Spartan, what hope have we?' He sighed and keyed his transceiver, opening a channel with Minor Undar 'Ildaromee, his Second.

"Major?"

"Minor, a Spartan comes."

A pause.

"Major…are you certain?" asked the Minor, fear obvious in his voice.

"I am, Minor. Our chances of survival are slim, at best, but Zealot 'Ancoramee has decreed that the vermin will not cross this bridge unopposed. Array our squads for an ambush. I will remain here, where I may serve to observe and direct the battle and fall in defense of the controls should the ambush fail." He did not add, 'as we both know it will.'

"By your command, Major. The Prophets guide your aim."

"The Prophets guide all our aim, Minor, and may the Ancients receive us gladly," replied 'Elidaromee before he severed the link.

He knelt and prepared himself for a prayer of purification, but he could not concentrate on the sacred rite. The thought of facing a Spartan again filled him with terror. He had been a Sangheili Minor only cycles before, when the battle to cleanse the vermin-tainted world Reach had begun. He earned his Major's armor by surviving a firefight with four of the accursed Spartans.

The Unggoy and Kig-yar fell like insects, slaughtered in their tens, dozens, and hundreds by the battle's end. They would charge the Spartan-held position only to have their ranks broken and scattered by perfectly placed grenades and impossibly accurate projectile fire. They would fall back, their Sangheili commanders would berate them, they would reform and charge, and be slaughtered again. Eventually, the Sangheili themselves had to join the assault.

'Elidaromee had led the remnants of his Unggoy against the Spartans but only gained a few steps before a grenade landed at his feet and detonated. The leading Unggoy were ripped apart by the blast, but 'Elidaromee's shields had absorbed most of it. Still, shrapnel from the grenade punched through his armor in a hundred places, and the force of the blast and his impact with the ground had shattered bones, and the noise of the detonation had left him half-deaf. He watched as the Spartans continued to fight off Covenant assaults. It was only after they ran out of grenades that they came under heavy fire. Still, three Sangheili Majors were killed as they fought Spartans hand-to-hand, and eight Minors were killed by concentrated fire from the Spartans as they charged. Only a handful of Unggoy and Kig-yar, one other Sangheili Minor and two Sangheili Majors survived that disastrous assault.

Knowing that no amount of prayer would ease his mind or prepare him for eternity, 'Elidaromee rose and surveyed 'Ildaromee's deployment of their forces. The Unggoy were all concealed behind the many pillars and box-like structures that littered the ground at the head of the Light Bridge. The Kig-yar had been hidden among the obstructions closest to the ramp leading to the Major's position and the controls for the Light Bridge. 'Ildaromee himself and one of the Kig-yar paced the width of the Light Bridge, acting as bait. The Major's respect for his rather distant crèche brother increased greatly, for he knew that 'Ildaromee had guaranteed that he would die first.

When facing Covenant forces attacking en masse, Spartans did not single out any particular race of soldiers. When the attacking forces included Sangheili, however, the Spartans concentrated their fire on the Sangheili until they were dead or forced behind cover to wait for their shields to re-charge. 'Elidaromee had learned this painful lesson on Reach. 'Ildaromee's willing sacrifice meant that their ambush just might hurt the Spartan, as it would focus its attack on 'Ildaromee and leave the Unggoy and Kig-yar alone until 'Ildaromee was dead.

And then 'Elidaromee heard it. The noise was faint at first, but it grew steadily louder, until it was the unmistakable sound of the land vehicle the vermin called a Warthog. In that instant, 'Elidaromee knew the ambush would fail utterly. He tried to open a channel to 'Ildaromee, but it was too late.

The Warthog burst from the tunnel mouth at its maximum velocity and aimed straight at 'Ildaromee and the lone exposed Kig-yar. The concealed Unggoy and Kig-yar opened fire, but their salvos struck empty air as the Warthog proved too fast to track.

'Ildaromee attempted to dodge the oncoming vehicle, but somehow, the Spartan anticipated his move and swung the vehicle's rear around so that it was skidding sideways at an incredible speed. 'Elidaromee watched as 'Ildaromee's shields popped on impact, watched as the Minor disappeared under the vehicle chassis, watched as the vehicle painted the ground purple with the Minor's blood and mangled remains.

The exposed Kig-yar died with equal speed as the vermin wielding the vehicle's heavy gun opened fire at him. The Kig-yar's shield held for a few seconds against the hail of projectiles before it finally collapsed. 'Elidaromee watched the storm of solid projectiles turn the Kig-yar into a fine mist of purple blood, shredded flesh, and splintered bone.

The Major could not take his eyes away from the scene as the Spartan and the vermin slaughtered his soldiers. The vermin behind the weapon was surprisingly accurate despite the vehicle's high speed and random course. The Spartan, though, was terrifying. In its five-fingered hands, the vermin vehicle became a weapon, and the Spartan wielded that weapon with as much skill as the Zealots wielded their holy plasma swords. The vehicle wove in and out of the many obstructions with surgical precision, and the Unggoy and Kig-yar were crushed beneath it or cut to pieces by the heavy gun.

After the last of his soldiers lay dead, the Major watched as the Spartan cruised through the area one last time, in search of any Unggoy or Kig-yar that it and the vermin might have missed. Finally, it drove the vehicle to the head of the bridge and exited. The vermin remained behind his heavy gun, scanning the area.

The Spartan, meanwhile, was advancing cautiously from obstruction to obstruction, waiting to be fired upon. It knelt near the corpse of an Unggoy it had run down, field stripping the corpse of its gear and trading its vermin pistol for a Covenant plasma pistol. If 'Elidaromee had not been so terrified, he would have been outraged that the vermin dared touch Covenant technology.

The Major produced a plasma grenade from his bandoleer and crept towards the ramp the Spartan would have to walk up to reach the controls. He checked the charge on his plasma rifle and made sure that his second thumb was on the grenade's firing plate. Then, it was just a matter of waiting for the Spartan to get close enough, sticking the grenade to it, and running as fast as 'Elidaromee could manage to escape the blast. At least, that's how the Major hoped his plan would work.

He heard the slow, measured tread of the Spartan all too soon as the enhanced vermin ascended the ramp. He tensed, his second thumb poised over the grenade's firing plate. Then 'Elidaromee noticed the soft green light creeping into the darkness of the tunnel and heard the unmistakable hum of a plasma pistol being charged to deliver an overloaded burst. 'Elidaromee would be naked if the Spartan's shot hit, as the burst would collapse his shields instantly. _The Spartan knew he was there._ Somehow.

'Elidaromee panicked and burst from his hiding place, bringing his plasma rifle to bear as he tried squeezing the grenade's arming plate. Instead, the Major walked straight into the Spartan's fully-charged plasma burst.

At that close range, the plasma burst did more than simply pop 'Elidaromee's personal shields. It vaporized the top layers of his chest plate, melted through others completely, and turned whatever armor remained into semi-molten slag. 'Elidaromee could feel the plasma fires guttering inside the massive chest wound, but he could not scream, thanks to the damage the blast did to his lungs. He staggered back into the corridor wall and fought to keep from collapsing. A sudden stiff blow to the face slammed the back of his head against the wall with a muffled metallic clang. The Major forced his eyes open to find blue fire completely obscuring his vision.

"Tag," said the Spartan.

And then the grenade went off.


End file.
